Clean Sailors podcast

What happens to boats when they reach the end of their life? As thousands of vessels across Europe (and indeed, the world) face retirement each year, the marine industry is confronting an important question: how do we rethink waste, materials and the future of boat building? In this episode, we’re joined by Igor Kluin, Co-founder and Designer, and Nienke van t' Klooster, Co-founder of VAAN Yachts,...

There’s a quiet contradiction at the heart of modern sailing. We head out onto the water because we love the ocean - its freedom, its beauty, its power. And yet, in the most routine moments, whether washing down a deck or cleaning a hull, we may be contributing to the very damage we care about. Not through negligence, but through habit and through products labelled “marine safe” or “eco-friendly”...

We are obsessed with the weather. This obsession has served us very well over thousands of years - ultimately for the purposes of survival - food - crops, grazing, water, safety etc. The weather shapes our days, our moods, our plans - often without us noticing. At sea and on the water, it’s a different story. Weather is our focal point. Every decision, whether cruising or racing, flows from the wi...

For most of us around the world, wetsuits are a necessity to getting out on and staying in or under the water. There’s an emotional element too - these slippery suits allow us to spend hundreds of hours doing what we love - our pleasures and past times - surfing, supping, diving, snorkelling, foiling, kiting, body-boarding and sailing. But like many modern textiles, neoprene doesn’t come with an e...

Connecting young people to water, the sea, is a topic so close to our hearts. As the bodies of research around ‘Blue Health’ in particular have grown, we better understand that time spent on or near water has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, promoting emotional resilience and improved mental well-being. For children and young people - it can be teamwork, confidence-building, in...

PART 2/2 Sir Robin Knox-Johnston made history in 1968-69 as the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world, an achievement that secured his legendary status in the sailing world. He then co-founded Clipper Ventures, established the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 1996, transforming ocean racing by making it accessible to everyday people with no previous sailing experience. Throu...

PART 1/2 This sailor and podcast guest needs no introduction, but he deserves one. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston made history in 1968-69 as the first person to sail solo and non-stop around the world, an achievement that secured his legendary status in the sailing world. He then co-founded Clipper Ventures, established the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race in 1996, transforming ocean racing by making i...

When it comes to sustainability, sailing and marine has faced scrutiny like most other industries, notably on the topic of end-of-life materials. Since 1996, Quantum Sails has been working on sail design, technology and production, now with more than 60 sail lofts around the world. Tune in to hear Lara Poljšak, Director of Sustainability at Quantum Sails discuss the progress and obstacles in being...

We've explored the changing Arctic in a couple of our our Clean Sailors podcasts to date, but what about Antarctica and the Southern Ocean; what is it like and how is it changing? There is no other sailor to ask than Skip Novak - from Antarctica, Patagonia, South Georgia, the Northwest passage, Falklands, Atlantic, Pacific to the South Sandwich Islands, Svalbard, Spitsbergen: you name it, Skip has...

The marine industry, and superyachting in particular, is renowned for cultivating exceptional skills and high standards. In this episode, Holly sits down with Sam Stewart, founder of the Relief Crew Foundation. After a successful career in superyachting himself, Sam began bridging the gap between skilled yacht crews and impactful humanitarian and environmental projects around the globe. Discover h...

Doyle Sails is one of the most competitive sailmakers on the planet. With the likes of SailGP as one of the main classes they serve, it's fair to say they've got some of the coolest clients and coolest technology around. How are the team addressing sailmaking in our modern world, in view of sustainability? In this multi-million dollar market, what are the stakes as new rules and regulations slowly...

What happens to Royal Navy liferafts after they’re retired? This episode explores their surprising second life and a mission to keep them out of landfill. Tune in as we speak with Bob Field of the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and professional sailmaker, Pablo Madrid , about their unique collaboration to transform decommissioned liferafts into something new — making waves in their industr...

Like most things sailing, our kit has undergone massive transformation over the centuries, evolving from heavy, water absorbent natural fabrics like wool and canvas and leather to today's lightweight, high-tech synthetic materials designed ultimately for waterproofing performance and comfort. But at what cost? Our highly engineered, highly advanced laminated and membrane fabrics do undergo intense...

Solo sailor, Ella Hibbert, spent this Summer preparing herself and her boat for her upcoming non-stop single-handed circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle; a world-first. But in Ella's own words, 'this is not a record attempt, it’s a wake-up call’. Not only is Ella incredibly seaworthy, experienced and capable of such an adventure, it's the first time in history that Arctic Sea ice has receded enou...

Based in Brussels, European Boating Industry represents the European leisure marine industry in Europe. Over 6 million boats are kept in European waters, and we’ve over 10,000 marinas - the industry is HUGE. As Secretary General, Philip Easthill is responsible for running the show So what do they stand for and what are their current priorities? Let’s find out!

Sails. There are millions of them in circulation on our planet, and just as many heading into landfill each year. Currently, there aren’t any formal recycling schemes to be found anywhere in the world, but many small organisations are working with sail material to make new things. Whilst these efforts are noble, it’s clear this isn’t the long-term sustainable opportunity - environmentally or econo...

So far, the 'clean' in Clean Sailors has meant challenging ourselves and the sailing marine industry to become more environmentally aware and sound. For this podcast, we are looking at ‘clean’ from another perspective... Food at sea is very much fuel and certainly morale - hot, filling, long-burn energy loaded and as quick as possible to cook. When racing, well, let’s talk freeze-dried bags and a...

Now, The Turner Twins may need little introduction. With various adventures and accolades; land, sea and sky, they’ve tried, tested, endured and pushed both themselves and resources to the maximum. Two years ago they set out to sail to the most remote part of the Atlantic – on a second hand boat, with an electric engine, testing hydrogen cells, new antifouling technology AND whilst supporting macr...

As we know, sails are strong and durable, built to withstand some of Earth’s toughest environments; UV light, saltwater and wind. Made from complex synthetic materials, sails aren’t formally recycled anywhere in the world with over 97% of them heading to landfill or incineration. But what if we used these huge sheets of hardy textiles for good? What if we used spent sails to help shelter refugees,...

End of life boats... With an estimated 30,000 tons of composite waste from old boats being discarded in European landfills annually, alone, we know this continues to be an issue or an opportunity for the marine industry and beyond. In this episode host Holly is joined by Jeroen Wats, former champion sailor and now composite revolutionist to discuss the environmental impact of composite materials a...

Now, we know since the 1950’s, GRP and FRP hulls – glass and fibre reinforced plastics, became the go-to for boat building. These materials were revolutionary, not just for maintenance, cost and performance, but also increasing the accessibility of boats to a much wider audience. Fast-forward several decades, and these materials; meaning thousands and thousands of boats, are at end-of life, with n...

We've had a couple of conversations on the topic of end-of-life boats, notably with brilliant minds and teams who are working to create fully recyclable composites from which to build new vessels going forward. So, what about those boats already in existence? What of those boats that are currently abandoned on shorelines globally due to no formal recycling, clear procedures, incentives or supporti...

Now, the golden rule when spending time in the sun is to cover up and sunscreen up. These tips are generally the best when it comes to protecting our skin from potentially harmful UVA and UVB rays and any secondary health impacts they can cause such as skin cancer. These tips are well known, however perhaps less known is the harmful effect that personal care products including sunscreen can have o...

Freya Terry is a 22-year-old female solo sailor making her way around the UK and Ireland. Aside from this exciting and lengthy journey of 2300 nautical miles, Freya is raising awareness of mental health as she goes. It’s foggy Sunday morning, and we are snug in the cabin of her 31ft boat, a beautiful Sparkman and Stephens SHE, doused in bright pink. Listen in to hear about Freya's solo-sailing acc...

What exactly is seagrass and why is it important? How do we sailors impact the seabed, and what can we do about it? Tune in to hear a conversation of experts around our joint #ProtectOurBeds campaign - why seagrass is an instrumental species for our planet, how it's threatened and how we sailors can find out exactly where it lies, when out on the water. With the Ocean Conservation Trust, savvy nav...